While several smaller communities in Saskatchewan offer ice for skating and hockey practices year-round, Moose Jaw — which has four arenas — does not offer any summer ice time at all.
Coun. Doug Blanc raised the issue during the Aug. 9 regular city council meeting after several residents contacted him over the weekend. He pointed out that communities such as Pilot Butte and White City near Regina offer skating year-round, but Moose Jaw does not. He wondered if the parks and recreation department planned to investigate this in the future.
“There is not any demand at present for us to have summer ice (or to turn on the ice plants),” said city manager Jim Puffalt.
There is already plenty of summer ice time and hockey camps in other communities around Moose Jaw, specifically in Caronport and at Notre Dame, he continued. City hall thinks that if there are no customers for non-winter ice time, the municipality will not spend money on recreation venues and lose more money than it already is on such places.
Puffalt later told the media that SaskPower charges the municipality for the month when power plants are turned on. Moose Jaw already pays high utility costs, so it would be dinged financially regardless of whether people use the buildings.
“Unless it’s full, it’s hard for us to find a way to put that money out. Again, there’s really been no need to this point in time … ,” he continued. “We’ve come to the point of rationalizing our services; if there are no customers, we’re not going to reopen.”
Puffalt added that city hall would be willing to open up a rink — two arenas can accept have summer ice — if a business wanted to run hockey or skating camps in the summer.
Street signs
City council approved money in the 2021 budget to replace every street sign in Moose Jaw over the next eight years, Coun. Heather Eby said. She wondered if that program had started yet, considering she has seen many signs that have not been fixed or replaced.
The program is underway and the preparatory work has been completed, but residents won’t see any new signs yet, replied Darrin Stephanson, director of public works and utilities. The department put out a tender, purchased them, and is now itemizing them. Installation is expected to start “soon.”
Stephanson added that his department split the community into eight sectors to make it easier to replace the signs over the next eight years. However, he could not say which sector would receive new signs first since he didn’t have that information on hand.
Caribou Street construction
Blanc also raised a concern about the construction on Caribou Street West, which is now occurring in front of William Grayson School. He wondered when the work would finish considering school will return in a few weeks and the area will be congested with school buses and parents dropping off and picking up students.
Bevan Harlton, director of engineering, replied that he did not have the construction schedule and would have to respond during the Aug. 23 council meeting.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, Aug. 23.
